Open Road Films announced Thursday that is has acquired all U.S. distribution rights to the Liam Neeson action thriller “A Willing Patriot.”
In the film, a CIA agent (Neeson) engages in an elaborate cat-and-mouse game with a sinister terrorist who’s planning an imminent attack. Open Road previously collaborated with Neeson on the 2011 film “The Grey.”
The film will be financed and produced by MadRiver Pictures, along with Film 360, Hollywood Gang and Jason Keller. The announcement was made by Tom Ortenberg, CEO of Open Road Films, and Marc Butan of MadRiver Pictures.
Martin Zandvliet (“Land of Mine”) will direct from a script by Jason Keller, who will produce along with Film 360’s Guymon Casady and Darin Friedman as well as Hollywood Gang’s Gianni Nunnari. Film 360’s Ben Forkner, Hollywood Gang’s Shannon Gaulding and MadRiver’s Ed Fee will oversee on behalf of their respective companies.
“A Willing Patriot” will shoot on location in South Africa, Morocco and Tunisia with Open Road Films planning a wide release in 2016.
The deal was negotiated on behalf of Open Road Films by CEO Tom Ortenberg and general counsel Elliott Kleinberg, and executive vice president of production and acquisitions Peter Lawson.
CAA, which packaged and arranged financing for the film, negotiated on behalf of MadRiver Pictures. Neeson, along with MadRiver, are represented by CAA, while Zandvliet is repped by WME. Film 360 is represented by PJ Shapiro and Julian Zafijen, and Hollywood Gang and Keller are repped by attorney Carlos Goodman. Keller is repped by CAA and Management 360.